TWiV 864: A game of thrones

[@terrydoyle1141]

Loved Rich's comment about how this was how science gets done with 7 scientists discuss virology and the epidemiology of poop. What a graceful, intelligent and cooperative discussion. We all benefit when this is the way people talk & discuss problems.

[@lampanish]

I'm so pleased Rich stops whoever is speaking and has them explain what it is they're saying if it seems too complicated for us 'lays'. Thank you so much, Rich.

[@CricketsMa]

Just fascinating! Thank you for this interesting episode!

[@thedishbench]

Thank you all for such an interesting episode. I hope this project achieves larger scale funding for ongoing research.

[@eliseleonard3477]

It is so immensely cool to see how TWiV brought these scientists together!

[@strphenz]

Another classic title for the episode

[@priyasingh-po5yr]

such a passionate discussion on tracking the lineage. I am just bowled with TWIV discussions. but in developing nations this is a huge challenge as we done have such sewage systems for majority in rural areas. only indicators could be from individuals. of course our data base is vast and way cheaper to conduct tests here.

[@mpeppyr]

Excellent TWIV episode. Thank you all.

[@onedominant]

Virtual conferences::: I work in a University academic department (Finance, not science). We have 19 doctoral students and a dozen Faculty/Instructors. We also, as many University departments, have a tight and eternally shrinking budget. The arrival of virtual conferences with the pandemic was a boon for our Faculty/Instructors, our doctoral students, and our budget alike. We were able to fund virtual attendance for the entire Department for multiple conferences where previously only a handful of attendees could have been funded for travel. Multiple authors could present together, not just one selected to represent the work. It would be wonderful to see at least a hybrid option remain available for conferences moving forward. It's the only way we could ever afford to "send" all of our people. Zoom (and I'm sure other platforms) also offer "breakaway rooms" where smaller groups can face-to-face for discussions, research, or even candidate search interviews. It's a changing world. I hope it learns to embrace advantages discovered rather than revert to this or that status quo.

[@314costa]

Excellent episode!

[@jaf7765]

I loved this episode, more please!

[@HotelPapa100]

I could listen to Davida all day. There's just something about a Dublin accent.

[@aliceobrien8390]

In ireland love these videos thank all of ye for this have a good day

[@alowry2002]

Thank you turning down the volume of the end music. Most pleasant now especially with the Professor’s dulcet voiceover.

[@johnfish3159]

APHIS stands for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, fwiw.

[@dacisky]

That was quite entertaining. The night before on an episode on Nova dealing with learning about animals via their scat.

[@spamletspamley672]

If they stopped having face to face conferences (and even Parliaments) there might not be so many pandemics/epidemics in the first place. And: In super overcrowded UK, roundabouts no longer work because there are no breaks in the flow of vehicles long enough to allow others to enter the flow. Efforts to speed up the flows by removing obstacles and ssightlines by removing treesand corners, and traffic lights, just created continuous flows that backed up all the traffic on adjoining roads. What is actually needed, are traffic lights between junctions, specifically for the purpose of making gaps that are too long for speeding cars to make up before they get to the next junction. This way, there is always space for vehicles to enter from the sides.

[@alanmigdall3358]

Is there any effort to move upstream in the sewer flow? It seems that would help test whether an odd signal is from a single person vs a more diffuse group. At every split in the pipe a single source would only be in one of the flows.

[@luannwood1009]

I'm a retired RN and a science geek in Tennessee. If there's grunt work, I can do, email, find, and contact sources for poop to send your way; let me know.

[@silviopina_111]

BEST TITLE EVER!!! And the cover art!!!

[@Costa_Conn]

I wonder if the idea of eDNA in sewerage came from early studies on illicit drug metabolites in sewerage? I recall a study (25 yrs ago) on quantifying cocaine metabolites from sewerage in Milan. They calculated there was twice as much coke being used as was thought. Sewerage sampling is now routinely used to identify which drugs, and how much, are being used.

[@deborahfreedman333]

One of the two texts I used for virology in 1978, at UCLA, was _General Virology 3rd ed_ by Luria, Darnell, Baltimore and Campbell. At the time, I thought it was odd, that the emphasis was on phage. But, now that makes sense. The book is organized as general virus properties, bacteriophages (which is almost half the book), animal viruses, tumor viruses, then insect and plant viruses, almost as an afterthought. It's cool to know there is a biography of Luria.

[@ssun1218]

Fascinating!

[@lorraineshorrock1284]

love the videos from England keep them coming❤❤❤

[@patriciagiles5833]

How does the impact of septic systems factor into wastewater surveillance?

[@randmorf]

I think you folks said that Stanton Island has a sewer-shed where waste water and rainwater run-off were kept separate. This may explain why Stanton Island sewer water samples had low rat DNA test results. The rat DNA would likely be higher in rain water runoff as compared to waste water from homes and businesses.

[@joelbutler2266]

No Bats? Did you test waste water for bat markers?

[@MickisMom]

In Feb/Mar 2020, China was telling us that the symptoms of COVID to look out for were fever, dry cough and difficulty breathing. In March 2020, so many of us with and without eventually developing long covid, had numerous other viral symptoms like runny nose, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, headache, etc. but were denied access to testing because of what China said. Why the difference? China not being completely honest or another variant? Seems to have affected those getting covid by way of England/Italy then NY than from China to Washington/Calif. Thoughts?

[@depleteduraniumcowboy3516]

Great video.

[@S.B.Hermione]

Lol. Y’all just said heck-it & went there with this episode title, didn’t ya?! Lmao

[@robinschoenthaler5090]

Interesting you mention an "immunocompromised person with a raging GI infection." A known complication from some immunotherapy cancer treatments is severe colitis.

[@beachdancer]

I found that very interesting. How much money do they hope to raise? What's the plan?

[@___________________1]

It would be a cool idea if gene therapy can be used for example if the mutated RNA was coming from an insect ,which could make rats sick than that virus transmit to human, and also can come from contaminated water like mutations in microorganisms from radiation, chemicals etc

[@dorasmith7875]

If there are only 8 million rats in New York City, then there is less than 1 rat per person in New York City, I don't think so.

[@mindymitchell1857]

What about cockroaches? Don't viruses infect insects?

[@boundlessinformant3395]

Cockroaches and all other insects are very different from humans. They do have their own viruses, such as Bacula. But they lack the ACE2 receptor as an entry point for SARSCoV2.

[@RayRay-ir3yh]

Luc Montagnier has passed away.

[@kazoz3520]

Australia was doing extensive SARS-CoV-2 sewage surveillance, and often picked up new SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in communities, before identified in any people. Was a very useful tool. But, not useful here for researching the evolution of SARS-CoV-2, as many new seeding events were completely eliminated, until Jun 2021, Delta outbreak in Sydney was never eradicated, then borders opened without quarantine, introducing whatever variants are circulating throughout the world.

[@gribbler1695]

Australia was sequencing all PCR positives, where possible, until case numbers made it impractical. Ref: Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in the Australian context

[@alowry2002]

W00T! First comment. Wow four guests!

[@nickturnock3369]

Temebdous stuff, so much squeezed into an hour and a half. How about inviting John Dennehy to the incubator to do a TWiVEO with Nels?

[@babylonbabel]

isn't it in the poop? If so it's people

[@deborahfreedman333]

There are some fancy cat litter boxes, that flush the cat waste into the sewage lines. Also, if storm drains empty into sewer lines, dog waste would be in the waste water too. And don't forget the ubiquitous rodents, which have higher populations in areas where garbage disposals are uncommon, and often live in sewers. New York has rats, some the size of small dogs, Los Angeles has cockroaches. Pick your pest, but they all defecate.

[@babylonbabel]

@@deborahfreedman333 Now I don't know again . I'm guessing that the sars-2 virus is the same with all of the mammals . Or maybe there isn't a known way to identify differences in the viruses from different animal's poop. looks like a lot of work to me .

[@babylonbabel]

I believe you guys over my notions .

[@Vicki_Aussie_Girl]

Deer?

[@davids1136]

It's in all kinds of mammals EXCEPT BATS